An electronic component may include one or more semiconductor devices in a package. The package includes internal electrical connections from the semiconductor device to a substrate or a leadframe which includes outer contacts. The outer contacts are used to mount the electronic component on a redistribution board, such as a printed circuit board. The package may include a housing which covers the semiconductor device and the internal electrical connections. The housing may include a plastic material, such as epoxy resin, and may be formed by a mold process, such as injection molding.
Instead of mounting a package including one or more semiconductor devices on an outer surface of a printed circuit board (PCB), the semiconductor device may be embedded within the printed circuit board itself. A printed circuit board may include one or more dielectric layers including, for example, woven glass fibres impregnated with a polymer such as an epoxy resin, and one or more structured conductive layers, for example copper foil, providing a conductive redistribution structure. A semiconductor device may be embedded within the printed circuit board by laminating one or more layers of the printed circuit board onto opposing sides of semiconductor device. The electrical connections between semiconductor device and the redistribution structure of the printed circuit board may be provided by inserting vias through the dielectric layers of the printed circuit board to expose a contact region of the semiconductor device and by inserting conductive material into the via.
Methods for reliably embedding semiconductor devices into a printed circuit board are desirable.